8th March 2025, Mumbai
ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai celebrated its XVIII Convocation to confer degrees today. Dr Ravishankar C.N., Director & Vice-Chancellor, ICAR-CIFE, conferred degrees to 91 Master's and 51 Ph.D. students.
The Chief Guest, Shri George Kurian, Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, Dairying, and Minority Affairs, lauded the role of professional fisheries education in supporting a thriving and rapidly growing sector that employs up to 28 million people across India.
Guests of Honour, Dr Joykrushna Jena, Deputy Director General (Fisheries Science), ICAR, and Dr Prof Nazir Ahmad Ganai, Vice-Chancellor, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Science and Technology (SKUAST), Srinagar also graced the occasion.
Globally, capture fisheries and aquaculture now contribute equally to fish production, signaling a paradigm shift towards advanced aquaculture systems. These systems emphasize water and energy conservation, the use of genetically improved strains, and efficient feed and health management strategies. This shift presents significant opportunities for fisheries professionals, who are ideally positioned to become entrepreneurs and capitalize on the current boom in start-ups fostered by the government. ICAR-CIFE, along with other ICAR Fisheries Institutes and Agricultural Universities, has developed advanced technologies that can lead to new business ventures. The promotion of student entrepreneurship at CIFE is a crucial step towards transforming India from a service-driven economy to a knowledge-based economy, helping realize the vision of 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047.
The fisheries sector contributes nearly 1.2% to India’s GDP, with export earnings reaching ₹60,523.89 crore in 2023-24, supported by trade with 132 countries. The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), launched in 2019, has supported approximately 32 lakh fishers and farmers across 22 states and seven Union Territories with insurance coverage. Additionally, nearly 7 lakh fishers have received livelihood and nutritional support during the lean/ban periods. Continuing its focus on the sector, the government launched the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Yojana (PMMKSY) in 2024. These initiatives have contributed to an increase in domestic fish consumption, now at 13.1 kg per capita.
(Source: ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai)
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